Runaway Ghost, the Sunland Derby winner who was forced to miss the Kentucky Derby due to injury, is back on the work tab. Runaway Ghost has logged a pair of three-furlong works, his latest in 36.80 seconds Nov. 3 at Zia Park.
“He’s doing great,” said trainer Todd Fincher.
Runaway Ghost was diagnosed with a fracture in his right front cannon bone following an April 14 work for the Kentucky Derby. He underwent surgery, was rehabbed, and is now based at Zia.
Mind Control, the Grade 1 Hopeful winner who finished seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs, could make his next start in the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington Park, said Rick Sacco, racing manager for the colt’s owner, the Brunetti family’s Red Oak Stable.
Mind Control appeared to come out of the Juvenile in good order and was shipped back to Monmouth Park on Sunday, where he will remain for at least a week. Trainer Gregg Sacco is deciding whether to move the horse to Parx or New York after Monmouth’s stable area closes down.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One of the final opportunities for 3-year-old turf horses to race among their own kind this year will come Saturday at Churchill Downs when the Grade 3, $100,000 Commonwealth Turf is run for the 15th time.
Hot Springs, a last-out winner of the Jefferson Cup on the Churchill turf, surely will be favored after drawing the outside post in a field of seven in the 1 1/16-mile race, especially in light of his 3-for-3 record over the local course. Steve Asmussen trains the Uncle Mo colt for the Woodford Racing partnership, headed by Bill Farish.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita will run 60 stakes, including eight Grade 1 races, during its winter-spring meeting, which runs from Dec. 26 to April 7. There are several changes to dates and purses on the Santa Anita stakes schedule.
The purse of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles has been increased from $400,000 to $500,000. The San Felipe Stakes will be run March 9 and is a key prep for the $1 million Santa Anita Derby on April 6, the richest race of the meet.
Prince Earl, unbeaten in two starts, will have his stakes debut in Saturday’s $75,000 Let It Ride Stakes for 3-year-olds at Del Mar after being withdrawn from the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Sunday.
Trainer Phil D’Amato said the Let It Ride Stakes “looks like a little easier on paper.”
The Let It Ride Stakes is run at a mile on turf and is restricted to horses who have not won a stakes with a first-place purse of $60,000 or more at a mile or over since April 1. Statebred races are excluded from that clause.
Last fall, Peter Miller was the runaway winner of the training title at the Del Mar autumn meeting, winning 19 races. No other trainers had a win total in double digits.
“It was a phenomenal meet,” Miller said. “We had more wins than the leading jockey.”
Miller’s memory is correct. Flavien Prat won the riding title with 18 wins.
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The Sovereign Award picture for this year’s Canadian champions got a little clearer after last weekend’s abundant action.
Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales Stakes winner Wonder Gadot went into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff as the leading contender for Horse of the Year honors in Canada. In spite of her front-running ninth-place finish in the Distaff, she figures to be voted champion 3-year-old filly and Horse of the Year off her overall body of work.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tom Amoss will run horses at Churchill Downs through the end of the fall meet, but you can count on one hand the number of days he will actually be here. Amoss is bound for his native New Orleans before week’s end, intent on furthering his status as the all-time winningest trainer at Fair Grounds, which starts its 2018-19 meet on Nov. 15.
“I’ve got some horses to breeze and some other things to take care of,” Amoss said early Monday. “Then I’m outta here.”
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jack Sisterson was part of many stakes victories as an assistant to Doug O’Neill. Last Friday, at Aqueduct, he won his first stakes as a head trainer when Oxy Lady upset the Grade 2, $150,000 Tempted Stakes by five lengths at 36-1. Over a slow track, she earned a 96 Beyer for running a mile in 1:38.88.
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Vekoma earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his 1 3/4-length victory in Sunday’s Grade 3 Nashua Stakes, the highest figure earned by a 2-year-old so far this year.
He also likely earned himself a spot in the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes here on Dec. 1.
